India’s public relations industry, which generated USD 340 million (INR 3,230 crore) in revenue in FY2026, is estimated to influence around USD 545 billion in economic value annually, according to an Ipsos white paper commissioned by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI).

The estimate covers three areas: USD 220 billion linked to revenue sustainability and growth, USD 265 billion through reputation management and USD 60 billion associated with crisis management.

The findings were released at PRCAI’s PRana 2026 in Gurugram, the third edition of its Brand India Reputation Summit.

The economic impact study combines a primary survey of 500 Indian consumers, sector-level revenue and market capitalisation analysis, Ipsos’ analysis and secondary research. It also draws on PRCAI, Ipsos and Astrum’s SPRINT 2026 industry study, which surveyed 143 PR industry respondents, including mid and senior consultancy professionals, business decision-makers, HR and finance heads, supplemented by qualitative interviews.

The report, however, cautions that the USD 545 billion figure should not be interpreted as revenue generated by the PR industry. The three levers are independently modelled and partly overlap, making the figure an estimate of economic value influenced by PR activity rather than a direct causal or additive measurement.

PR industry grows 11%, but remains highly concentrated

India’s PR industry grew 11% in FY2026, taking its revenues to USD 340 million from USD 306.71 million in FY2025. The industry has recorded a 12% CAGR between FY2015 and FY2025, compared with global market growth of around 6% in 2024.

The report estimates that India now accounts for 12.6% of the USD 2.70 billion Asia-Pacific PR market, which itself represents around 12% of the global USD 22.54 billion market.

Growth, however, remains concentrated among the larger players. 12 firms control around 70% of the Indian PR market, while the giant segment’s share of industry revenue increased from 44.2% in FY2023 to an estimated 54.4% in FY2026.

Reputation emerges as the largest economic lever

Of the three areas measured, reputation management accounts for the largest estimated impact at USD 265 billion, based on the study’s assessment of PR’s contribution to the reputation component of investor decision-making and India’s listed market capitalisation.

Revenue sustainability and growth account for an estimated USD 220 billion, based on PR’s estimated 20% contribution to brand awareness applied to an adjusted organised-sector base of approximately USD 1.2 trillion.

The third lever, crisis management, accounts for approximately USD 60 billion in value at risk, based on an analysis of more than 90 major corporate crises over the past decade. The study estimates average erosion of 0.35% in revenue and 1.5% in market capitalisation across the crises examined.

PR budgets and crisis work are gaining ground

The report points to a shift in how brands are allocating and using PR. PR’s share of marketing budgets rose from 12% in FY2025 to 14% in FY2026, while more than half of corporate communicators say PR is gaining budget share from advertising and digital agencies as demand for integrated solutions increases.

Crisis and issue management is also expected to become a bigger revenue driver. 38% of consultancy heads currently identify it as a top revenue service, rising to 47% over the next three years.

Regional PR is gaining ground too, with its share of the industry increasing from 10% three years ago to 19% currently, and projected to reach 25% within three years.

AI could change the value of earned media

The report identifies another shift in the relationship between PR and media. While 83% of practitioners believe earned media is becoming more important as AI models increasingly influence information discovery, media relations itself is losing ground as a top revenue service.

The proportion of consultancy heads identifying media relations as a top revenue service has fallen from 79% three years ago to 68% today, and is expected to fall to 38% within three years.

At the same time, 70% regard generative engine optimisation as an emerging practice area, suggesting that the value of credible earned coverage may increase even as traditional media relations becomes less lucrative.

Highlights from the Ipsos white paper:

• 96% of corporate communicators say PR builds investor confidence and customer loyalty.
• 92% say PR strengthens stakeholder relationships.
• 83% link PR to greater crisis resilience.
• 75% recognise PR’s contribution to long-term revenue growth.
• 83% of practitioners say CEOs now recognise PR’s strategic and economic impact.
• 57% say CEO expectations of PR’s role in reputation building are higher than ever.
• 79% identify brand trust and reputation as the area where PR currently creates the strongest economic impact.
• 55% cite crisis management as the next strongest area.
• Influencer marketing is expected to rise from 47% of consultancy heads identifying it as a top revenue service today to 53% in three years.
• Digital media is expected to increase from 41% to 56% over the same period.
• Influencer marketing has doubled as a share of industry revenue, from 8% three years ago to 16% today, with 22% projected.
• 84% of consultancy heads have adopted hybrid retainer-plus-project models for some clients.
• Startups recorded the biggest increase in client demand, rising 32 percentage points, followed by education and edtech at 21 points.
• Government’s share of PR industry revenue has increased from 4% in 2022 to 11% in 2026.
• The West and South are the fastest-growing regions, at estimated FY2026 growth rates of 19.2% and 15.6%, respectively, compared with 11% for the industry overall.
• The industry is projected to reach USD 368.9 million in FY2027 and USD 474.3 million by FY2030.

Kunal Kishore Sinha, president, PRCAI, said, "At PRana 2026, we opened with one question: what is shaping India's reputation story? The white paper we release today provides the economic answer. An industry of our size does not merely support business, it actively shapes the conditions under which businesses grow, survive crises, and retain the trust of investors and consumers alike. The USD 545 billion figure is not a claim of revenue; it is a measure of consequence. And consequence is what should define how boardrooms think about this profession."

Deeptie Sethi, CEO, PRCAI, added, “We have always known that reputation has value. What this white paper does, for the first time, is that it put an economic number to that value. Reputation is no longer a soft asset - it is hard business currency, influencing investment, trade, diplomacy and innovation. PRana by PRCAI is now a significant stage that has evolved from a platform for stories and ideas into a larger conversation about India’s reputation and influence. This year, the Ipsos white paper gives that conversation an economic foundation that the industry can take into the boardrooms."

Deepak H, partner and country lead, Ipsos Strategy3, added, "This research white paper is significant because it moves the conversation about public relations from outputs to outcomes. The methodology we applied, linking brand awareness, investor decision-making, and crises losses to the economic activity public relations impacts, gives the industry a defensible, evidence-based foundation for the value it creates. The findings are clear that reputation is a financial asset, and public relations is the discipline through which it is built and nurtured."